Human rights activist Khurram Parvez was on Wednesday released five days after the Jammu & Kashmir High Court quashed his administrative detention under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA). He was detained in September for his alleged “anti-social’’ and “anti-national activities”.

Parvez was released from Jammu’s Joint Interrogation Centre, a day after he was shifted from the Kotbalwal Jail.
He thanked individuals and organisations who expressed solidarity with him, while calling his detention a difficult time for him, his family and colleagues.

Watch What Else Is Making News

“Difficult times are also opportunities, if only we make them so. I commit myself to not let this detention be a difficult memory of my life but an opportunity that has enabled me to reflect, read and plan my future work for justice and peace,” he said in a Facebook post. “I won’t let this difficulty make me bitter, instead my resolve for peace and justice has got strengthened. I want all of you to be hopeful. I am.’’

Parvez, who is Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances and Programme’s Chairperson and Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society’s coordinator, was detained upon his return from Delhi on Septem-ber 15. He had earlier been barred from boarding a flight to Geneva to attend the 33rd UN Human Rights Commission session.

A lower court had earlier set aside his preventive detention and ordered his release but the government booked him under PSA, which provides for detention without charges. The HC had quashed the detention of Parvez calling it illegal on November 25.